Merodon retectus Vujić, Radenković et Likov, 2023

Vujić, Ante, Radenković, Snežana, Tubić, Nataša Kočiš, Likov, Laura, Popov, Grigory, Rojo, Santos & Miličić, Marija, 2023, Integrative taxonomy of the Merodon aberrans (Diptera, Syrphidae) species group: distribution patterns and description of three new species, Contributions to Zoology 92 (1), pp. 51-96 : 78-79

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.1163/18759866-BJA10037
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.8349868
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03F01454-CE0A-FFCE-FFC3-FF00C7C9FADF
treatment provided by	Felipe
scientific name	Merodon retectus Vujić, Radenković et Likov
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Merodon retectus Vujić, Radenković et Likov View in CoL

sp. nov.

Zoobank: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:6A5CFAD5-3CC7-4D15-A0F5-0899046F54D6

Type material. Holotype. Male. Iran, SW Iran, Lorestan, 10 km W Babazeidon rd. to Shahabad , 33.2162343N, 47.7351783E, 04.v.1976, leg. A. G. Lavallee ( USNM) GoogleMaps . Paratypes. Iran, SW Iran, Lorestan, 10 km W Babazeidon rd. to Shahabad , 33.2162343N, 47.7351783E, 04.v.1976, leg. A. G. Lavallee, 1 male, 3 females in USNM GoogleMaps .

Diagnosis: Medium-sized (9–12 mm), dark species, with olive–green to brown lustre ( figs. 24 View FIGURE 24 , 25 View FIGURE 25 ); metaleg with short pilosity, except dorsolateral stripe of long pile on metafemur ( fig. 23A View FIGURE 23 : marked with arrow); basotarsomere of metaleg elongated and narrow ( fig. 23C View FIGURE 23 ); terga medially having very short adpressed pile ( figs. 24A, B View FIGURE 24 , 25A, B View FIGURE 25 ); antennae reddish– brown ( fig. 29E, H View FIGURE 29 ); sterna 1 and 2 with long whitish pile; male genitalia: lingula short and tapering to the tip ( fig. 26C View FIGURE 26 : l).

Description: Male. Head ( figs. 27A View FIGURE 27 , 29E View FIGURE 29 ). Antennae reddish–brown ( fig. 27A View FIGURE 27 , 29E View FIGURE 29 ); basoflagellomere elongated, about 1.6 times as long as wide ( fig. 29E View FIGURE 29 ), and about 2.1 times as long as the pedicel, more or less straight dorsally, slightly tapering to the apex; fossette dorsolateral and large; arista reddish–brown and thickened on basal third; arista about 1.7 times as long as basoflagellomere; face and frons black, with grey pollinosity; face covered with dense whitish–yellow pile, and frons with yellow–reddish pile; oral margin black, with sparse pollinosity; lunula shiny black to brown, bare; eye contiguity about 7–8 facets long; vertex isosceles, black; vertex with long yellow–reddish pile; ocellar triangle equilateral; occiput with yellow–reddish pile, covered with dense, grey pollinosity; eyes covered with dense whitish–grey pile ( fig. 27A View FIGURE 27 ). Thorax ( figs. 23A, C View FIGURE 23 , 24C View FIGURE 24 ). Mesonotum black with olive–green to brown lustre, covered with dense, erect yellow–reddish pile; scutum dull with two pollinose vittae; posterodorsal part of anterior anepisternum, posterior anepisternum (except anteroventral angle), anterior anepimeron, dorsomedial anepimeron, and posterodorsal and anteroventral parts of katepisternum with long, dense pale yellow pile; wings mostly covered with microtrichia; wing veins brown; calypteres pale yellow; halteres yellow; legs mostly reddish–yellow, except dark basal 2/3 of pro- and mesofemura and 3/4 of metafemur, metatibia medially, and metatarsus dorsally ( fig. 23A View FIGURE 23 ); metaleg with short pilosity, except dorsolateral stripe of long pile on metafemur ( fig. 23A View FIGURE 23 : marked with arrow); metafemur moderately broad, about 4 times longer than wide ( fig. 23A View FIGURE 23 ); basotarsomere of metatarsus elongated, 3 times longer than second tarsomere ( fig. 23C View FIGURE 23 ). Abdomen ( fig. 24A–B View FIGURE 24 ). about 1.2 times longer than mesonotum; terga dark brown to black; terga 2–4 each with a pair of distinct white pollinose fasciate maculae, connected on tergum 4 (and slightly on tergum 3) ( fig.24A View FIGURE 24 ); pile on terga very short medially, yellow to grey– whitish laterally, medial part of terga 2–4 with short adpressed black pile ( fig. 24B View FIGURE 24 ); sterna dark brown, sterna 1 and 2 covered with long whitish pile. Male genitalia ( fig. 26 View FIGURE 26 ). Anterior surstyle lobe oval and elongated ( fig. 26B View FIGURE 26 : al); posterior surstyle lobe rectangular ( fig. 26A View FIGURE 26 : pl), with slightly developed interior accessory lobe ( fig. 26A View FIGURE 26 : il); cercus rectangular ( fig. 26A View FIGURE 26 : c); hypandrium sickle-shaped, without lateral projections; lingula short and tapering to the tip ( fig. 26C View FIGURE 26 : l).

Female ( figs. 23B View FIGURE 23 , 25 View FIGURE 25 , 27B View FIGURE 27 , 29H View FIGURE 29 ). Similar to the male except for normal sexual dimorphism and for the following characteristics: basoflagellomere with rounded tip ( fig. 29H View FIGURE 29 ), about 1.5 times longer than wide ( fig. 27B View FIGURE 27 ); frons with pollinose vittae along eye margins; pollinose fasciate maculae on terga 2–4 more distinct ( fig. 25 View FIGURE 25 ).

Etymology. Latin adjective “ retectus ”, meaning uncover, lay bare, referring to the very short pilosity on metaleg.

Distribution and biological data: This species is found only in Iran ( fig. 8 View FIGURE 8 ). The altitude of the sole locality where this species has been recorded is 684 m asl. The area is characterized by hot summer periods and moderate winters. The most dominant tree and bush species in the area are Quercus persica Jaub. & Spach , Ficus carica L., Pistacia khinjuk Stocks , Crataegus aronia L., Prunus sp. , Rhus coriaria L., and Amygdalus elaeagnifolia Spach. The species is collected in May. Developmental stages: not described.